A family-friendly bike tour of the Mar Vista Green Garden Showcase is being offered by Transition Culver City for the second year in a row. After the 11:00 a.m. meet-up in front of the fountain at Vet’s Park, the group will make its way down the Culver Blvd. bike trail to the first house on the excursion, 11375 Matteson Ave., LA 90066 (House #5H on the Showcase maps) for refreshments and a presentation called “D.I.Y.: Yes You Can! Creative Lawn Conversions on a Budget” at 11:30 am. The presentation will include creative ideas, resources & encouragement for converting a conventional lawn to a drought-tolerant landscape without breaking your budget. FYI: This Showcase location exemplifies the D.I.Y. philosophy: it features a bistro-style patio hardscape, “urbanite” terraces, meandering flagstone walkways & a homemade park bench, dwarf fruit trees & stealth edibles mixed in with drought tolerant natives, plus two methods of rainwater capture—all accomplished D.I.Y. & under strict budgetary parameters (everything cheap, recycled, or free!)
The bike caravan will then continue on to several other gardens on the tour (email us your requests!) and return to Culver City by mid-afternoon. Remember to bring your reusable water bottle, hat & sunscreen, and also some snacks or a light lunch since we will out mid-day.

This year’s Showcase features 90 private residential gardens with a spotlight on drought-resistant landscapes, edibles, sustainable garden practices, outdoor living spaces, solar power and water harvesting, and even some urban farms with chickens and bees. Especially valuable is the chance for visitors to interact with do-it-yourself gardeners who are ready to share knowledge and experience.

If you wish to build your own self-guided tour, the Showcase website offers maps and in-depth descriptions of individual gardens (with photos and some videos). The Showcase runs from 10 am – 4 pm.marvistagreengardenshowcase.blogspot.com/

RSVP: If you’d like to join the bike tour or have questions, contact Michelle: 310-780-1051, or emailTransitionCulverCity@gmail.com.